it's december this week!

Monday, November 26, 2012 11:03 AM

Hello my family! I'm glad to hear that yalls Thanksgiving was good.

Mine was great. It was, again, an ALL DAY PDAY. Which is so fantastic. We got up and I decorated the apartment for Christmas! Glorious. I am so excited for the season. It's the best. Our resources are... limited... haha but we did the best we could! I still have all the decorations that you sent last year, Mom and we put them up and I made the little tree and the stickers are on the bathroom mirror :] We love Christmas. I also made a box of cornbread stuffing (which people here in the south call 'dressing') and took it to our first Thanksgiving at the Trahans. They are an active Louisiana-grown family and we love them. They have a son in the Washington Everett Mission right now, so Sister Trahan is always looking out for the missionaries. After that we went to the Kenney family for dinner. Brother Kenney is the assistant ward mission leader and they have one son and... a zillion daughters.. Maybe 4? Yes 4. Sister Kenney is the most amazing cook ever. She made dressing from scratch (and of course, obviously that's possible, but I had never had any homemade dressing before and it was divine) And of course, the mashed potatoes. Yum. I loved it all. After dinner we played air hockey with the Kenney kids for an hour or two and then we went back home. We wanted to go see if the big nice park, Prien Lake Park, had it's Christmas lights lit yet (they are up but not lit. It's gonna be sweet.) On the way we stopped at a tree farm. We looked at the trees and walked around and it smelled heavenly. Just totally heavenly. I learned some tree facts. Douglas Firs are the best ones in that they smell and look the most like pine trees. Next are the... oh no I totally can't remember! There are three kinds. Douglas... and Noble... and ugh! That is so annoying. Anyway the Noble Fir is the one that will last the longest but it smells the least. And then the other one is in the middle. I'm soo irritated that I can't remember what it is called. That night we went in and I fell asleep at 8:30. It was amazing!! AMAZING. I love sleeping.

Other than that, the week was good. We taught a lesson 1 to Susan again this week to get her ready for her January baptism. It is amazing to see how the missionary lessons really do the best job. No matter how many times they've been taught, whether they are active members or less active members or investigators or whatever, the most effective thing to do is to teach the lessons as Preach My Gospel has laid them out. It works the best. It was a great lesson. She bore her testimony to us at the end and said "I didn't even know I had a testimony." Funny how that works. I was reading in Mormon this morning, the last chapter and Christ says something like "To them that believe on my name, will I confirm all my words" and that is totally a testimony. If we believe Christ he will confirm things to our hearts and that is the most incredible gift we could have, a testimony.

We shared a bunch of Thanksgiving messages and asked what people were Thankful for. And then we told them how we are thankful for our testimonies of the restored gospel. I love the holidays, don't you? Everyone is a little bit nicer. Well.. most everyone. We are working hard on talking to everyone and that makes for some truly truly awkward moments. haha. We are also calling a bunch of potentials and formers and asking if we can come see them. That has been relatively effective. Our evenings are waining a little bit, but what can you do.

Yesterday we had our appointment fall through (wonderful! I looooove when people stand us up) and so we were trying to think of what to do and we had planned to go by a potential, Allen. I was so scared to do it, but I thought back to Saturday when I saw these people putting up their christmas lights and went over to talk to them. Before I did, I said "Be bold! and mighty forces will come to your aid!" to sister T and we went and contacted them. They were NOT pleased. But it was okay. I'm grateful for the knowledge that everything can be made alright through the atonement. Even when people are apparently deeply offended by our offering the gospel to them. Anyway, I said that again and we went and had a nice talk with him. Then we set up a more solid return appointment for this week. I'm grateful for the way the Lord blesses us.

OH. MY. GOSH!!!! How could I forget! I just looked at my planner and remembered that we ate at the Morris' house this past Monday and guess what???? I ATE SQUIRREL!!! !!!! Seriously. I have video and pictures to prove it. I ate a ribcage (I think) and then half of the brain. Yep. The meat was okay, just really boney and I was like "I'm eating squirrel." the whole time. the brain, however, was dirt-nast disgusting. But, yall, I ate squirrel! Now when people ask me "Whats the wierdest thing you ate on your mission?" I will have something better to say than "Crawfish" or "shrimp" Cause I really haven't eaten too many crazy things out here. Thank you Morris. Mission accomplished.

Tuesday and Wednesday were very full days on our bikes and not much to report out of the ordinary... Friday we had an amazing district meeting about how to help members do missionary work. They are already doing it so we just have to talk to them about it and help give ideas and etc. We are very excited about doing this, even though our ward mission leader hates it. Whatever. I don't care anymore, we have to do work. The Bishop told us to do it and so we will.

Saturday we had our appointments cancel on us as well and we decided to try to find some service to do. We haven't done service in a really long time, so we went and helped Brother Boies with his yard (he's th eone that sent me a package to our house). It was awesome. We were on our way and we stopped by the Mortimers to ask if we could use their rake, and brother Mortimer (aka my HERO) was outside. They had just gotten home from helping a boy in the ward with his eagle project and we told him what we were going to do and he said "Why don't we just throw my lawnmower in the truck and go over and mow it all up? It will take so much less time!" So he just hopped in the truck and followed us over there on our bikes and spent the next two hours helping us with Brother Boies yard. Amazing. I guarantee that he had a huge list of things to do on a Saturday afternoon, but he stopped everything to just come help us serve a brother in the ward. What did I tell you? My hero. I want to be like that.

Well. That's the highlights from our week. This mornin it is rainy and we love it! We had one of our favorite less actives call us and leave a message this morning and tell us "I don't want to see yall until I call you." Which was weird. We called back but she didn't answer. So I was sad, really sad. But then, I seriously thought this: This is an opportunity to apply the atonement to my life. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ. And it truly is an opportunity to pray and have him help me feel better. And that knowledge made me so happy and grateful this morning. A year and a half ago, that would have upset me sooo much more than it did this morning. It did upset me, cause it wasn't a very nice phone call and I don't understand why it came in, but I'm not as upset as I could be. I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that offers me that kind of strength. SO GRATEFUL. for the change that has come over me since I left home 18 months ago (18 months on Saturday can you believe it??!?! SO CRAZY!)

Mom, thanks for your letters, always. I love you so much!! I'm glad you had a good week and I can't wait to hear about your Thanksgiving break :] How was being with Grandma? How is she doing? How did she enjoy Heber? I thought of yall that day up there, I'm sure it was a treat for Grandma to get to go. I'm so happy you're all decorated. Now all we need is snow!!!!

Dad, thanks for your e-mail! I will pray for you this week about Stake Conference. It will all work out, I'm sure of it! I'm glad you get so much instruction from a General Authority, that is so cool. Didn't he speak in general conference last time? Was that someone else? Anyway I'll pray for yall and I hope it goes as well as you'd like it to! Nothings ever perfect, but I hope you're happy with it in the end.

James, how are you doing? How is school? Are finals in yet? Are you even going to school anymore?? Just kidding. But I never hear about it! Tell me about your life. What is your ward doing for Christmas? How is life? Are you enjoying the football season. Let me tell you, it is HARD to not talk about football with people. that's all they want to talk about and since LSU and Alabama are not friends, really, it is a hot topic at the moment. Anyway, I hope things are going well.

Jonny, what up? I didn't know that you played the guitar! Mom told me. That is sweet!! How is mission preparation going? I hope well. I am so excited for you!!!!! How are finals going for you? When are yall out of school? Ha! you go to SLCC!

I'm so glad yall got to meet Lundgren. I love her so so so so soo much. She was the perfect trainer for me, just likeJames told me my trainer would be. I love her and she is an incredible example. She told me she liked Wilsy. So, she's in. :]

I hope you have a wonderful week ! I love yall so much. I really am so thankful for you, each of you. Please know that I love you and that you are really great people. Wonderful parents and wonderful brothers. This holiday season is a gift, our testimonies are gifts, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ was the greatest gift of all. I love being a missionary. Guess what? It's still hard :] I'm guessing the last 3 weeks will be no exception. The last couple weeks of Christs life were kind of rough, I'd say. But I know that I will be happy during these weeks. I'm grateful for yall. Please remember Christ this season and serve him the best you can. I love Him so much!! He truly is "a thrill of hope".

it's thanksgiving week!!!

Monday, November 19, 2012 10:35 AM

Hi yall! We had a very good week. Monday we went shopping ALL DAY! I haven't shopped for real in ... 18 months I guess! It was nice. Except I found out that my love of peacocks is apparently a worldwide phenomenon now! Lame. I got earrings for $0.55 at Khols! How amazing is that?? We also bought jump ropes so that we can exercise in the morning. It is far too cold to go running, especially because we don't really run... But the jump ropes are doing great things! I could hardly walk on Tuesday and Wednesday cause my calves were so sore. Yikes. I found a coat that I want to buy when I get home. It's at target. I'm hoping all the targets in the world have the same stuff. It was a good day. Christmas decorations are up in the stores so I was pleased as punch.

Monday night our dinner cancelled, and our appointment cancelled. Except... we went anyway :] we just didn't say anything about the message we got. It was good that we went. It's a less active who is trying to come back but is struggling so much with the word of wisdom. and We are teaching her cousin that lives there... except everyone had had a couple of shots of cinnamon vodka (nice.) so she didn't sit in on the lesson. Every time we come out of somewhere wreaking of cigarette (or in this case, cigarello) smoke, we say "we smell like repentance" haha.

Tuesday we saw a bunch of less actives. We taught one of the ladies ( a young mom with two little girls and a methodist husband) the first lesson. It was really cool. I've said it before, I'll say it again, there is power in those missionary lessons. The missionary department and the quorum of the 12 know what they're doing, we should follow what they tell us to do. It was a good lesson. Tuesday night we had fish tacos at our ward mission leaders house and then we tried to see people aaand since it is after the sun has gone down we are extremely offensive. People of the world, if missionaries come to your house after dark do not send them away!! Especially if it is 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday we had to fix Sister T's bike... AGAIN! We had rode them to go tracting (fruitless, I almost broke my foot, and freezing cold) and her tire was totally flat. Did I tell yall about the debacle we had last week about fixing her bike? The thing is on it's last leg. It's about to die. So we had to go fix that and then that afternoon we had Debra and Josetta. We watched the Testaments with them. It was amazing. I love the Testments. I will never forget the first time I watched it on my mission. In Brother Samfords house. And I was so emotional, and so happy! It's a great movie. Even if it is a little bit cheesy. Then after a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with the Rex's we went to see our potentials KiKi and Kiandra. We taught them a first lesson, and KiKi was not a fan of us saying that Jesus Christ's true church has been restored... but they said we could come back when they get home from Thanksgiving break (they get an ENTIRE WEEK off for Thanksgiving yall! How amazing is that??)

Thursday we saw Susan and taught her. She is doing well. She is not going to be at church for the next 5 weeks (minus the week right before I leave) and then we had dinner with a family the Littles. He has been a member his whole life and she was baptized about 2 and a half years ago. And now she's the young women's president! She is awesome.

Friday we had Zone Conference in Vidor. My last Zone Conference, can you believe it?? I remember my first zone conference, a Spanish hermana... I think her name was Hermana Werner? Something like that? Anyway she stood up and said "I remember my first zone conference, watching the departing testimonies and thinking, wow I will never be there." And I was like "Um, yes. That is how I feel." but I am there. How totally completely bizarre is that? She shared a scripture where John the Baptist said "He must increase (meaning Christ) but I must decrease" and I've thought about that for my whole mission. Christ must increase, and I the natural man must decrease. His goodness must increase in me. I am so thankful to have a testimony of the gospel and a testimony of the church! I am so grateful to have faith in Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for this mission experience. It was a really good meeting. Me and Sister T sang "He Sent His Son". I thought of you Dad I know how much you love that song! I love it too. I love President and Sister Crawford. Whenever President testifies, I always feel the spirit's presence very strongly. My heart always burns when he testifies. He is so great. Friday night I went to Woodville on exchanges with Sister Jackson! It was so fun and just what I needed.

I'm working on something. I had some cool experiences this week with following promptings. While me and Sister Tuigamala were tracting Tuesday morning, I was talking about how I feel like I get promptings that don't make sense all the time, and how I can't tell if they're promptings yada yada yada, how many of the people of the church have felt like that? Probably almost every single one. I was telling her "I can't just do everything good idea that pops into my head. I just can't do every prompting that I receive, it's humanly impossible." And she said "You might surprise yourself." Light bulb like you wouldn't believe. I might surprise myself with my ability to follow the promptings I get. I might just be able to do every good thing I think of. How profound is my companion without even trying to be? So I've been trying to follow promptings more recently and it's been working out for me. Friday we had dinner with a less active single mom and her 7year old son. The mom, Cassie, was baptized at 12 with her mom and her sister. She has spent some time away from the church and is now coming back. At one point her son was talking about how much he LOVED primary. His mom said "I always feel a little jealous of my son, because when I joined the church I went almost directly into Young Women so I didn't learn the primary songs! I wish I had." and her son was saying how much he LOVED the primary songs. Well, because we had sung at zone conference, I just happened to have my children's hymnbook that Kari Brown gave me before I left and so we went and got it and he wanted to sing "Follow the Prophet." So we did. And then Cassie wanted us to sing "I am A Child Of God" Because she would sing that to him as a lullaby. So while we are singing, I get this prompting "Give Cassie the hymn book" and, that is not like me to do at all. I treasure the things that I've been given by people that I love. So I thought about it for a second, but then I thought "You cannot give yourself poor in this work" and so I asked them "Do yall have a children's hymnbook?" No. "Would you like one?" Yes! "Would you like THIS one?" And they were so excited. And I felt so happy for them. But then we were leaving and I felt like "Oh, no I don't want Kari Brown to think I didn't appreciate her gift, or that it was easy for me to just give it away." and then, looking up at the most beautiful starry sky, I thought of one of my FAVORITE christmas songs. The other wise man :] and it says "And the man of wisdom wonders if the King will understand that gift he meant to offer Him has been giv'n to mortal hands." And I thought about how the Lord understands. And I felt so happy.

Saturday we helped this woman move into the Woodville ward. MOST beautiful house ever. Maybe I'll go into real estate? Cause I love houses, and people, and etc. It was an old old house and there were those old fashioned bathtubs in all the bedrooms behind screens. It was so picture perfect. It was a good long day. We did that, we taught a bible study class out of preach my gospel and got a new investigator and then we taught a less active woman. Then the recent baptism in woodville, she is so great. Anette. When she got baptized all of her friends stopped speaking to her. How lame. Then we had dinner with an amazing family and it was delicious. I think I might have had a tiny migrane or something, my head felt like someone was slicing it with a knife and my eyes hurt so bad and I was sick to my stomach? Sound like a migrane? I felt better after I slept that night and took some ibuprofen on the way home. It was a great exchange. I love sister Jackson and Sister Erickson. So much.

Yesterday someone was praying for us. I know this because we had an okay day, Sister T is not sleeping well, so she wasn't feeling very good. But we had one of our appointments cancel so we went to the other and she wasn't there. So we sat in the car and started calling potentials and formers. This is how I know someone was praying for us and the Lord answers our prayers. EVERYONE we talked to set up a return appointment, many of them for the evening. Ihave prayed recently that we can fill our evenings. Cause they have been so difficult to fill. And I am sure the Lord was answering our prayers.

Mom, thanks for your letter! I'm glad things are going well for you. Are you so excited for Thanksgiving? It will be fun to have Grandma be at Grandma Hickens, I think. Is that what yall are planning? I love you!

Dad thanks for your e-mail! Your mission plan sounds amazing! We are doing something similar in our area. It's called the Plan and we are having the members work on fellowshipping. For a year they fellowship a family that they'd like to see as members of the church without bringing up the church at all. And we follow up to see their actions. Our Ward Mission Leader doesn't like us to ask the members to do missionary work, I think he had a bad experience with missionaries some time ago probably. But anyway we'll try it. It's hard to do without our mission leader behind us, but we'll keep trying.

James, thanks for your e-mail! I have got your letters a few weeks ago... maybe 2 weeks ago? I loved them as usual. Hows life?

Jonny, how are you? Getting ready for the mission? I am so incredible proud of you! SO SO proud of you. And even more excited for you!!! Study lesson 3 of preach my gospel. Just do it. Also, I want you to go to mormonchannel.org and find the video "Sanctify yourselves" :] and if you have time... Also The Tyler Haws video and the video by Neil L. Anderson about Sid Going. It's awesome.

I love yall! Happy thanksgiving! I am so thankful for yall. I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and so thankful for restored church. I am so thankful to be a missionary and for the opportunity I will have to be a missionary for my whole life. I am so thankful for my testimony of the gospel and the church. More than anything I'm thankful for that and for my Savior, Jesus Christ and a loving Father in Heaven. I'm thankful. There is so much to be thankful for and I truly am so thankful. I will try my best to serve Him. All of yall think of the things you're thankful for this week. Especially be thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that helps us to be happier, better, clean, whole, forgiven.

I love yall! HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Give my love to the fam at Grandma's house!! Talk to yall next week

we had a good week

Monday, November 12, 2012 10:16 AM

Hola!

So Monday night we didn't have a dinner and it was RAINING like you wouldn't believe! So cool. But then at 7:30 we had an appointment with a less active member who is wanting to come back to church. She told us her 16 year old daughter doesn't know if she believes in God anymore, so we were going to go teach a Restoration lesson. This family has a 23 year old cousin living with them, Serenity, and on the way over I was thinking "I would LOVE to teach Serenity." So we go in, we start talking, and in Serenity comes. Kizza asks her one question about church and badabing! We are able to invite her to listen to the lesson. It was great. It was kind of crazy cause Serenity's 2 year old daughter was running around trying to do everyone's hair (she tried to give me twists. ha!) We asked her what she would do if she found out what we taught was true and she said "Then I would become Mormon." Like... duh! We are excited to work with her. We're seeing her tonight.

Tuesday was almost an all bike day. All bike day until it got dark. I love riding the bikes so much. I feel like a missionary when I do. And we always end up teaching more on the days when we bike. Who knows why THAT is. Anyway we taught a bunch of less actives and had dinner with a wonderful active family in our ward. Then we had Dan-The-Man dinner with him and his wife. She is getting a little tired of us, I think. We'll approach it after Thanksgiving (they're going out of town).

Wednesday I had some more experience with following promptings. We had an appointment, she wasn't there. So we were biking down to Mormon.org and I had the thought "Go see that young mom from the Hour of Power." So I stopped and told Sister T about it. It's kind of weird because it's the other side of our area. So we rode back home and got the car and drove to Jennys. She let us right in (she was absolutely devastated because of the election. she cried. yikes man.) and we taught her a first lesson. It was kind of awkward because her pastor was in the backyard haha.. But they are a great family. She said she would pray about reading the Book of Mormon. That's the whole battle for us. If they'll read it, God will do the work. Also later that morning we saw Susan and Josetta, our other two progressing investigators.

Thursday morning we went to say goodbye to Lora Monroe because she is moving out of our complex (still in our ward) and she is going to get her husband because HE is now doing an externship at L'Auberge. Then we did weekly planning and no body else was around until Dinner at the clicks then we saw Brother Boies. He sent a package to our house. It's for me :] Just expect that

Friday we had district meeting and the zone leaders came. Then we went to lunch with Josh Brandon. He is recently reactivated, probably 30 and he fed us steak and chili dogs. I am a HUGE chili dog fan now-a-days. And he has a cool cat. I'm starting to like cats more. His cat is named BJ. BJ is almost as cool as the Nunes cat, Toby. But Toby totally wins. He is my favorite cat. I think this also might be coming from the fact that cats don't bark their heads off whenever I enter their property. Dogs drive me a little nuts. Except Wils. Pretty much nothing happened Friday. I start to get depressed when that happens. When it's our second day and no teaching, I get down.

Saturday, ALSO nothin!! YUCK. Also I was sick. I am fighting a little cold/sore throat deal. I really dislike it.

Yesterday we had church and holy smokes I just love church. We had the lesson from the George Albert Smith book about kindness. Isn't he amazing??? Seriously, I adore George Albert Smith. Every time I read the book about him I am blown away. He is so cool. So, therefore, I have decided on a name for my daughter. I'm going to name her Georgia Rae. (Like George Albert Smith and Dad! cool huh? Mom, just think about it for a second. it's not as bad as some of the other one's I've come up with, i'm sure!) I told sister T this last night and she goes "That is such a southern name!" Also last night I got told that I sometimes have a southern accent! YUSS! I'm excited about that. I also had an experience yesterday with following a prompting. We were driving away from a less active visit and I had a thought "go knock those apartments" but I didn't want to. College apartments freak me out at the moment. We got all the way to where our next appointment should be and I was like "Sister, I think we need to go knock those apartments." And she goes "WHY did you wait until now to tell me! We should have gone when we were over there!" And we went back and daught a first and got two new investigators. Sophomores in college. I was thinking about how I got my answer about going on a mission. And how it was because of the power of prayer and I thought of all the sad little college students in the world who were sad and alone and didn't know that they could pray. And that's why I wanted to knock there. It was cool.

We have a new elder in the ward! His name is Elder Hooker! He miiiight know Grandma and Grandpa! He's another Heber-ite. His parents bought a bunch of land and built a housing development and I thought "huh. grandma and grandpa have a housing development by their house.." and he told me he used to live on Hicken Court... Do Grandma and Grandpa know any Hookers? ... hahahaha. In their neighborhood?

Mom, thanks for checking on the MTC for me! You're the best! I think I'll just apply when I get home? What do you think about that? I have been practicing and role playing with my companion. How are you? Thanks for the pictures of the snow! I LOVE THE SNOW! Have yall started decorating for Christmas yet? Also, I got Becky's wedding announcement! HOLY SMOKES she looks GORGEOUS IN IT!!!!!! Don't yall think? I'm so happy for her!! Plus It's nice to have a face to put on "Chauncey Rogers".

Dad, thanks for your e-mail! Those sound like good goals for the stake! We have such a great stake! Hey, guess what? A girl from Vidor Texas got her mission call to the TACOMA WASHINGTON mission! i am so excited. She is one of the "new wave" missionaries. She's 19. I have to call her and tell her she's the luckiest girl in the world! How's everything for you? I hope you have a great week!

James, how goes it? How is life? I hope you're doing good. What exactly is your major? I keep forgetting... accounting? Something?

Jonny, how goes it for you? How are you doing in your mission preparation?? Are you reading the Book of Mormon? DO IT! :]

Family, I love you so much! I am so grateful to be a missionary. It's still difficult. But it's so wonderful! If I ever talk to any girl going on her mission the first words out of my mouth will be "It is WONDERFUL! The most amazing thing you could do with your time! You are so lucky to have the opportunity." Please pray for our investigators. They are not wanting to progress. It's lame. I will keep trying. Please pray that we'll be able to find things to do in the evening. Remember the power and strength of real prayer. Get on your knees and speak out loud to your Father in Heaven. He is really listening to you. He wants to help you and He wants you to help His other children.

I love yall so much! Have a good week and I'll talk with you next monday!!

P.S. TEN DAYS til the rest of the world wants to listen to christmas music with me!!!!! SOOO

Reply to:

Reply to: Jillian Hicken All

Reply to Jillian Hicken

Send

oh mi familia. it's the final countdown

November 5, 2012

 

Well. It is officially my last transfer. I have no earthly idea how this happened. It doesn't seem like a year and a half ago that I was leaving home. It doesn't seem that long since I've seen yall. But on the other hand, I feel like I've been here and known these people for all my life. Sister Tuigamala and I are staying together!! We are so excited! We are going to work hard and see success I know it.

So. Last week was good. I don't have my planner from last week because it is a new transfer... and that is how I remember what I did every day to give yall a play by play haha. But I'll see what I can do.

The first of the week we were on bikes all the time because we had NO MILES left. We were actually over miles a little bit. So we biked to kingdom come. Especially on Wednesday. Halloween! I wondered so many times how many people thought we were just in costumes and went a little far with our helmets and bikes. Oh well. Nobody asked us. We had a good day on Wednesday we saw Josetta and taught her about the plan of salvation. She agrees with it. She knows it is true. There is something that is in the way of her coming to church. We'll see what we can do. Wednesday night we met with Stephen, our new investigator who is dating a less active member. They fed us dinner. It was delicious. We had planned to talk to him about the Restoration but he wanted to know why we couldn't drink tea. Can I just tell yall how much a LOVE being a missionary?! The gospel is just so true. It speaks for itself. All I can do is be the person to feed the information. Anyway the Elders came and they were on bikes too, so we were all four riding home at nine o'clock at night and it was so funny.

We also had a cool experience with a less active woman, Shirley. Oh, how I love her. Our Ward Mission Leader says that the Sisters have been visiting her for years and years and that she comes to church once in a while. Basically he said don't waste your time. Just ps our ward mission leader scares me to death. He's very good at being a ward mission leader and he just intimidates me to no end. Anyway. But we saw Miss Shirley and taught her the plan of salvation. Her daughter passed away about a month ago. And last time we saw her she asked what happened to people after they died. We were able to teach her this plan and the spirit was there. It was cool. I felt so good as I testified that Heavenly Father knew that we would be imperfect and that Jesus Christ knew that he was coming to take our punishment for us. "Justice requires immediate perfection and punishement when we fall short... Jesus took that punishment." This was central to the plan. Our Heavenly Father loves us.

Also yesterday in church. It was fast and testimony meeting and Sister Clifford stood up and bore her testimony. She talked about how when she goes to the temple it feels like she is going home. And something like "It must be so good for our Heavenly Father to see us home." and I felt that God loves His children so much. I remember when Rebecca Tingey came to our house and she said "On the really hard days of my mission I would just picture that hug at the airport when I got home and it made me feel better." and I thought about when we go home to God how he will embrace us and how that will feel. Can yall imagine?? So great. So much better than when I complete my THE mission. And that's going to be pretty darn awesome.

"Fall back" happened. So now it gets dark at like 3 in the afternoon. Just kidding. It's like 6 oclock. But that kicks 6-9 out of drop bys which are how we roll in this area in the evening. For some reason no body wants to see us in the evening. Weird. Anyway we are trying to adjust and set solid appointments in the evening. We should be having more dinners so that will be good.

What else happened... we didn't get any new investigators which I just don't like at all. We are going to do better this week. It's been really really foggy lately in the mornings. Which is cool. And then it gets hot. Not HOT hot, but hotter than I want it to be. I want it to be like coldish. Like 70 would be nice.

Susan is doing great. We love her so much. She is still planning to get baptized January 5 2012. Hoorah! Hopefully we can teach her husband and her daugter before then. Her husband is feeling interested now. That is nice.

I'm sorry that I don't have that much to tell yall about! Mom we had a pizza party last monday! I will send you the pictures from my grateful district.

Mom, how has your week been? I hope it's been good! How is work and etc? Has ABC family started the countdown to the 25 days of christmas? I think it's hilarious that they do a countdown to a countdown...

Dad, thanks for your e-mail! Say hello the Robinsons from me!! They are so great. I'm sorry they had to cut it a little bit short, but I'm sure they did all that God wanted them to do. I'm glad that more sisters are applying for missionary service! I would love to talk to any girls that want to go on a mission! I'd do it in a heartbeat. Set it up and I'll be there. I totally want to teach at the mtc. I don't know how best to go about that. My old job said I could come back and work there, but it just doesn't feel right and I don't want to work there anymore. So I am going to see if I can come and apply for the MTC when I get home or send a video thing. Could you see if you can find out if I could apply between the 19th when I get home and January 2nd when we leave? Thanks! I don't know if you can find out, but I guess just see if they do interviews then... I don't know how to send a video home really, but I will figure it out if that's what needs to happen. PLUS there's going to be so many more missionaries, ESPECIALLY sister missionaries so they're probably going to need more teachers... riiiight? Score.

James, how are you doing this week? How's life? How are the ladies? How is church? How is work? How is school? What are you studying? Can't wait to come home so we can fiesta!!! We shall double date. It will be great. You will find fellas for me and I will find ladies for you. Perfect.

Jonny, hows it going?? Are you getting excited to get on your mission. Mom and dad say you look more and more like a missionary all the time. I can't WAIT for you to go through the temple! It's sooo amazing! And then we can all go together. The best thing you can do to prepare for your mission is strengthen your testimony. Honestly, theres no way to prepare you for what the day to day of missionary life is like except just going. But you CAN build your testimony. It all hinges on the Book of Mormon. Read it daily. You will recieve answers to the questions you have about your mission from studying the book of mormon. Don't feel like you have to read a zillion chapters a day. Just read every day. LOVE YOU! I'm so excited to see you!

Yall. I am so happy. I am so so so soooo happy. I'm not always giddy happy, but I have this underlying happiness that doesn't go away. I know that comes as a gift from God in return for service. I am so grateful to have a testimony. I haven't always had a testimony, or I didn't always think I had a testimony. Now that I have one, I truly do "guard it with my life". I am so incredible grateful for it. I just know that it's true. This gospel is Jesus Christs and this church is Jesus Christs. What I don't know now, I can have faith in and someday God will let me know. THAT I am sure of. LOVE YALL! Be good, be happy, and be safe!